Bleacher Report - Men's Tennis

Rafael Nadal Sweeps By Tomas Berdych in Davis Cup First Rubber

Nima Naderi — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:14:28 -0500

Davis Cup Final—Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona

Under cool and calm conditions in his native Barcelona, Spain, world No. 2 Rafael Nadal breezed to an opening rubber victory over Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2.

Nadal, who entered the Davis Cup final on the heels of a four-match losing streak, appeared to finally find the solace that he was dearly missing during the indoor season.

Trading early service breaks to start the match, Nadal gained a pivotal break of serve in the 11th game of the first set, capturing a one-set lead on the strength of a forehand winner.

“After winning the first set everything changed,” said Nadal, who missed last year’s final against Argentina because of an injury. “I got up on him. I also managed to find my rhythm.”

After gaining a one set lead, Nadal derailed the belief of his towering opponent by winning an incredible 13 straight games.

Berdych, who is well known for his fast court prowess, restored momentary order in the third set by holding his serve to trail 4-1.

Nadal's forehand, which had become a cause for concern during the indoor swing, began to flourish on the red clay in Barcelona.

Striking twelve forehand winners in total, Nadal added to his impressive play by winning 71 percent of his first serve points and 70 percent of his second serve points.

“I had more control of the point with the forehand and without mistakes,” said Nadal. “Tomas was more tired than me after the first set.”

Berdych by contrast, committed 40 unforced errors and struck 29 winners. Berdych's low margin style, which rested on hitting flat and close to the lines, simply could not contend with the spin-oriented game of his opponent.

“The big difference was that I had a couple of chances in the first set, and I should have taken it,” Berdych said. “If I had, the match would have been completely different.”

“All credit to Rafa. The way he was playing after the first set was unbelievable,” Berdych said.

With the win, Nadal not only propelled Spain to a 1-0 tie lead over the Czechs, but in the process he also chalked up his 400th career match victory.

Adding to his impressive career resume, the six-time Slam champ became the first player in ATP World Tour history to win 400 career matches before reaching 500 career matches played.

Currently standing at 400-91 throughout his nine year career, Nadal will now enjoy his stress-free win by trading in his on-court presence for a supportive role in the day's second match.

Substituting for an injured Fernando Verdasco, David Ferrer will look to lock horns with the all court game of Radek Stepanek.

Tied at three matches a piece in the pair's head-to-head, Ferrer's clay court experience would be better suited to the clay, over the serve-and-volley style of his Czech opponent.

However, it should be noted that Ferrer has not played a competitive match since losing in Valencia, leaving his current form vulnerable.

Considering that Stepanek defeated Ferrer in three sets on clay in 2008, "The Worm" gains a 50-50 shot at causing an upset.

In the event that Stepanek can cause an upset, Saturday's doubles rubber would prove to be significant.

Spaniards Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez are currently scheduled to face Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Hajek.

Don't be surprised if the teams for Saturday are altered depending on how the Ferrer-Stepanek encounter unfolds.

Please check back on Saturday for day two action from the Davis Cup final in Spain.

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The Interpretation of Tennis: Rafael Nadal's Ruthless Self-Test

antiMatter — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:15:39 -0500

The colosseum is daubed in red. The atmosphere flamboyant. It is time for the battle to begin. The two opponents take position on either side.

One of them, the more muscular one, attempts to pulls a lever at his side of the battlefield. It seems very cumbersome, and though every other competitor knows its existence, no one ever tries a hand at it.

For they know what it is that it takes to pull it all the way. The effort expended at it is just not worth it. It most probably is going to be a lost cause, and the physical and mental tiredness accrued on attempting to move that heavy lever is not going to do any good to them—it is not going to win them anything.

The muscular one keeps heaving at it. He is unable to move it at first, but he then lets out a war cry, and in one painful convulsion of the body, his left arm breaks loose and pulls the lever far above his head.

On the other half of the battlefield, the earth starts shaking. It finally cracks open, and a yellow orb of fire seems to burst out of it towards the skies at an angle, threatening to pass right through the opponent's head.

The most muscular man in men's tennis (perhaps "former" prefixed) takes tennis to mean much more than probably any other player who has wielded a racquet.

All aspects of his game seem to point at a belief in tennis, much like a belief in God and religion.

For what is it that forces a man to keep running after lost causes, at 40-0 down on the opponent's serve even when he is a break up? Isn't it rational that a point in a lost game is a no-point? If it is not belief, what is it?

Rafael Nadal runs—always. He is cursed to do it—to pursue dead ends. He is cursed to keep fighting the impossible.

Each stroke that Nadal hits is a painful one. The only question is whether it is more so for him or the opponent.

He virtually works himself onto the ball. The ball stays in contact with the racquet for longer than in the case of most players, absorbing more of the movement of the racquet face on it.

Following every stroke is a cry that could be given mixed connotations. A cry of triumph over failure or of pain?

The forehand hooks at the last moment, trying to impart whatever the body has left in it in the form of topspin and altitude. Perhaps in an attempt to pull the ball up at the net that is nearer and then bring it down before it probably goes out of the baseline due to an improbable error of judgment.

When the received strokes become flatter and pacier, he moves back, away from the baseline to give himself more time. What if he doesn't have enough time to reply properly and hits out?

Yes, it is a losing game on hard courts. But though he might lose, the opponent has to win the match by earning points the hard way. He is going to give himself everything so that he hits the fewest number of balls out. He should not commit mistakes.

He is not going to lose because of something he did. It has to be because of something the opponent does.

His body might give up, but it shall forever remain a slave to his will.

Rafael Nadal in more ways than one uses tennis to test his character: "If I lose in the fifth by a heavy margin, it means I am not mentally tough, no?"

He makes sure he plays well within his comfort zone at all points of time. It is a game built on certainty and self-calibration. When he plays, he wants to try to hit only what he can hit, not just anything he might want to. There is not even a sign of attempt at something unpractised.

Because of this approach, he needs to put in a lot of work on his strokes, to expand that comfort zone to include more scenarios that could happen on a tennis court.

This would mean that he would need more matches and practice under his belt to keep going. A break in that routine and you would see a dry patch, as is now seen.

Such a reluctance to take anything that would in the remotest of imaginations be a risk comes with its bag of negatives. The level of play and concentration has to be at a high level throughout. Thus, though there would be moments where the opponent outplays him, he would be there to take the chance when the opponent's level drops off a bit.

On the other hand, since this attitude of stroke play is assisted by an almost unending ability and readiness to keep running, the going could get tough for the opponent when he is on the go. No mistakes, no let offs. This surely is the extremity of defensive attitude.

When he is in form, you might feel that you are playing a wall with a small number of holes, each the size of a tennis ball, right through which you have to hit to get a point. Nothing would bounce back from the hole-less part of the wall that is too long, and neither can you out-hit the wall.

When he is playing even better, you might get the feeling that the holes are moving too.

He kept pulling at the lever, not considering physical fatigue. He kept pulling like his life depended on it.

He started overcoming his opponents one after the other. They tried in various ways to overcome his heart and body. But whatever they had, it couldn't equal these qualities.

And so, due to greater exertion that he subjected his body to and the lesser exertion that his opponents subjected theirs too, his body started giving up over time. The spirit was willing, but not the flesh.

But now that Rafael has rested up, let's hope to hear more of those battle cries next year—not in pain, but in triumph.

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Near Misses: Roger Federer vs. David Nalbandian at the 2005 Masters Cup Final

J.A. Allen — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 09:00:07 -0500

Roger Federer waged war with David Nalbandian throughout his junior and professional tennis career. The Argentine prided himself on being the first to have “Federer’s number.”

These were days before Rafael Nadal supplanted the underachieving Nalbandian as Federer’s chief antagonizer—preying on the mind of the Swiss Maestro.

The great Nalbandian not only possessed a keen tennis mind but was renowned as one of the cleanest ball-strikers in the game. He understood that hitting the ball flat with power deep in the corners in order to rob the Swiss of time could bring the great man down if you could sustain the pace and continue to hit the lines. It was not an easy task, but it could be done.

Nalbandian enjoyed defeating Federer—the No. 1 player in the world—more than any other player on tour. What is more, he had the game to do it.

They have met 18 times in their long and storied careers. Federer has captured 10 wins while Nalbandian's seized eight victories.

Some of Nalbandian’s victories hurt more than others. There was the defeat at the Australian Open in the round of 16 in 2003, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3, that sent Federer hustling back to Basel. Also, at the 2003 Cincinnati Masters, Nalbandian won narrowly in straight sets, 7-6, 7-6. In 2003, Federer was struggling to attain that elusive No. 1 ranking.

But the greatest “near-miss” Federer suffered at the hands of his oft-nemesis Nalbandian came at the 2005 Tennis Masters Cup final in Shanghai.

Denying Federer this final crown also denied him more entries into the record book—for which John McEnroe will forever be grateful.

Federer, aiming at securing his third consecutive Masters Series championship crown, remained perfect in his Red Group round-robin matches. He defeated Ivan Ljubicic, Guillermo Coria, and Nalbandian—an alternate for Andy Roddick, who was injured and could not participate in the year-ending tournament.

Federer defeated Nalbandian, but both proceeded to the semifinals because Nalbandian was the runner-up in the Red Group. Federer met the runner-up in the Gold Group, Gaston Gaudio, and defeated him in straight sets with a double-bagel, 6-0, 6-0.

Meanwhile, Nalbandian met the winner of the Gold Group, Nikolay Davydenko, defeating him in straight sets, 6-0, 7-5.

That meant Federer would once again face Nalbandian, this time in the final for the championship.

It was not exactly the match Federer hoped for coming back from an ankle injury, feeling just a little rusty and unsettled. But he had defeated Nalbandian days before, so Federer told himself he could secure one more victory.

The Match

This was to be a five-set final, and Federer hoped for an early escape. From the beginning, however, Federer sensed they were playing an entirely different match than the one Nalbandian produced in their round-robin encounter.

Federer was broken in the first game and fought hard to take the opening set to a tiebreak. He managed to find two aces after the tiebreak deadlocked, plus a lucky net cord bounce. He won the opening set tiebreak, 7-4.

The second set was equally as intense and unrelenting, leading to another tiebreak, which Federer won 13-11, but only after Nalbandian received a bad call up 5-3 that allowed Federer to dig in and outlast the Argentine.

Had this been a three-set match, as it is today, it would have been over. Federer would have won in straight sets—two tough and grinding sets—but Federer would have been crowned champion and would have walked away with all the regal accolades of the ceremony.

But in 2005, Federer had to win one more set out of the final three.

Federer was exhausted by his effort so far, but the Argentine was not going away even after finding himself in arrears at 0-2. In fact, he blew Federer off the court with a 6-2 victory in the third set.

Nalbandian could sense that Federer was losing strength and resolve, moving slower to the ball, his backhand failed to find its mark. This renewed the Argentine’s belief that he could win this tournament.

After going down 1-2 in the fourth set, Federer called for the trainer—something that almost never happened during a Federer match. The Swiss complained about his left thigh, and even after treatment, continued to struggle, finally losing the set by a 6-1 margin.

It was on to the fifth and deciding set.

Immediately, Federer fell behind 0-4. Finally, he won a game. It was 1-4. Most telling, Federer wasted two break opportunities at 2-4.

It looked grim for the Swiss Maestro. Time was running out.

Regardless of his calm and cool exterior, Federer remained a fierce competitor. It was not in him to lay down and die here despite the pain in his thigh and the ache in his ankle. Federer had won his last 24 finals, and Nalbandian was not going to steal away another moment of Swiss glory.

Miraculously, Federer broke Nalbandian and began to find the mark again. The Swiss clawed his way back to 4-4 and then broke Nalbandian in the 11th game.

The Swiss served for the set at 6-5.

The record-breaking crowd at Qi Zhong Stadium stirred to fever pitch. Federer stood serving for the match, 30-0 on his serve. His dream to end it there, however, came crashing down, as Nalbandian blasted a winner past him, breaking back and sending the match into a fifth-set tiebreaker.

The tiebreak seemed to infuse the Argentine with determination as he fired all-out from the baseline with Federer straining to keep up. When the Swiss No. 1 netted a backhand, he found himself down three match points.

Nalbandian converted on the first one as Federer dumped another backhand into the net. It was Federer’s 72nd error during this long, frustrating match.

As Federer slumped, Nalbandian dropped onto his back on the floor of the stadium, exhausted after playing four hours and 33 minutes. He had won—6-7, 6-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6.

For Federer, the season was still fantastic.

Nalbandian may have ended Federer's 35-match winning streak and his bid to equal John McEnroe's 21-year-old mark of 82-3 for the best winning percentage in a season in the Open era at 96.5 percent, but that doesn't undo all the victories that came before the disheartening loss.

The defeat by the Argentine was only Federer’s fourth loss in 2005 against 81 wins.

True, Federer had been bidding to become the first man since Ivan Lendl (1985-1987) to lift three straight year-end tournament trophies.

Federer had lost only one other match in his career while leading two sets to love. That setback came against Lleyton Hewitt in the Davis Cup semis in Melbourne in 2003.

On Nov. 20, 2005, David Nalbandian came back from two sets down to steal this match away from Roger Federer, who held the match on his racket and let it slip away—making it “almost” Federer’s greatest near-miss.

[Please read the others in our series of Near-Misses starting with the installment prior to this one by Claudia Celestial Girl on Venus Williams at the 2008 Open].

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Nikolay Davydenko: What's in Store for 2010?

Rajat Jain — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:36:59 -0500

Nikolay Davydenko has certainly gained a new fan over the last couple of months. Not that a man with millions of dollars already safe in his bank account needed a new fan, but the way the tennis world has taken notice of the world No. 6 is a testimony of what he has achieved this season.

His path to success has been nicely documented everywhere. His ability to take the ball ridiculously early, almost as early as Andre Agassi used to do in the past, and certainly a bit better than Roger Federer does on occasions when he does not pull out those magical "Federer" shots. His short height allows him to create extremely acute angles on both sides of court, and it also enables him to move as fast as a cat laterally.

The recent addition of his much improved serve and a "belief" of belonging to the top group paid rich dividends as he was extremely satisfied after realizing that his name would forever be on the WTF trophy.

He has also unearthed a novel way of playing the power hitters—take that ball early. Do not let that ball go away from you—due to the big height of the power players like Soderling and Del Potro—and give those people a taste of their own medicine by returning the ball as "quickly" (note: power is not the important word here, even though Davydenko generates enough power on this ground strokes) to his opponent to rob them of time needed to unleash their massive forehand.

Of course, his success also relied on two very important factors: First, the indoor courts did not have enough grip to make the ball viciously go high after hitting the surface. And second, the players above in question never generated enough topspin to leak out errors from Davydenko.

The one player who played the ball with enough spin is wounded enough to rotate that ball at 5000 rpms, and even if he could have done that, the court would not have complemented that spin to trouble Davydenko.

As much as Davydenko deserves the tournament, the accolades that he has been showered with and the belief that Davydenko can finally be considered as a legitimate slam contender in 2010, one should be cautious enough with the predictions.

The ball grips the surface much more in Australia and Paris. If that happens, Davydenko will continue struggling against Nadal and Federer who generate enormous amount of topspin in their ground strokes. Also, grass will always be a problem for Davydenko, even after his turnaround, and he still have to defeat at least two of Federer, Nadal, Murray and Roddick who are much better movers on grass than Davydenko.

It is also noteworthy that the courts at Paris and London were a bit on the slower side, so Davydenko had that "extra" bit of time to come into position. They were essentially the same type of courts that Agassi thrived on, except that they were air conditioned.

The good news for Davydenko, though, is that the era of vicious topspin is again on the decline, with even Nadal making extra efforts to flatten his strokes, which will help the Russian's style of play.

In short, 2010 would definitely be the season that might finally see the Iron Man holding a Grand Slam trophy, but a lot will depend on how he manages to take the ball on the rise on super fast surfaces (Wimbledon and U. S. Open) and how the power topspin players thrive on the slower ones (Australian Open and French Open).

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ATP World Tour Finals in London: Lessons Learned from Shanghai

Chloe Francis — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 12:39:39 -0500

The World Tour Finals, the ATP Tour's year-end championships, which has now been completed following Nikolay Davydenko's singles victory, has re-established itself as the ATP's premium tournament following its premiere in its new home of London's O2 Arena.

The Shanghai experiment (the Tennis Masters Cup—the Finals' previous name—was played there for the past four years) now looks like a woefully unsuccessful misadventure, a notion underlined by the fact that the ATP pulled the plug on the event one year before the original contract expired in favour of the newly sponsored and newly organised event in London.

The mainland Chinese made a good effort to get up to speed with state-of-the-art, Western-style sports promotion, particularly with tennis. With team-based sports already popular in Asia (football being a clear example), individual sports were the next emerging area.

The likes of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal already had huge fanbases, as well as sponsorship, in China, and it was hoped that staging the Tennis Masters Cup in a cosmopolitan and accepting Chinese city like Shanghai would capitalise on this interest.

A brand new arena, introduced solely for the Tennis Masters Cup, was inaugurated in 2005 by Federer (the "lucky" 8-leaf, magnolia-shaped roof does not seem so lucky anymore).

But despite Shanghai's—and the ATP's—best efforts, certain difficulties remained insurmountable. The most significant of these was the painful reality that the Chinese equivalent of a "typical" tennis fan didn't have the disposable income, or free time, to buy a ticket.

Equally, for the majority of overseas fans, China seemed just too far to travel even to see the best tennis players.

The event, in its innovative stadium and with presidential-like benefits, seemed like a futuristic novelty for the majority of its prospective visitors.

From the offset, it was different in London's O2. Hosting other events such as unique music concerts, gymnastic championships, and exhibitions, the location is already well-known as a prestigious location for the world's best entertainment.

As soon as tickets were released for the World Tour Finals in February, sessions began selling out. By August, only 20,000 of 250,000 tickets remained available.

An unstoppable hype machine, combined with a thrilling 2009 tennis season and, most crucially, an enormous, long-established, and relatively affluent Western fanbase whose constituents are already familiar with the sport, made the move to London profitable before the event even started.

The media presence in Shanghai was also limited; organisations that usually send reporters abroad found the lack of activity in Shanghai a reason for home reports instead. The time difference only compounded issues for broadcasters, reporters, newspapers, and fans alike.

London, on the other hand, is well positioned geographically and chronologically for the broadest range of countries and individuals. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to visit and report from London, one of the financial and cultural hubs of the world?

The sheer number of accreditation passes hanging around the necks of those who wandered the O2's alleys provided the evidence that this event would be comprehensively documented by the world's media.

The ATP positioned the move to Shanghai as a (incredibly) forward-looking gamble based on China's booming economy and growing interest in tennis. A progressive mood was in the air, especially as this event is second only to Grand Slams in terms of importance. Shanghai seemed like the perfect location to compound the global aspirations of the widespread ATP tour.

Although it is advantageous to maximise the market for tennis by taking the sport to emerging or exurban regions, there is no doubt that the most important event should be held in mature markets and big cities, purely because of the limited style and duration of the event.

The Shanghai event was out of sight, out of mind.

How many neutral television viewers were around at two a.m. GMT to flick to the TMC and suddenly find an interest in tennis? This shortsightedness has cost the ATP in the long term and is why it is even more crucial that the event is taking place in such a global, high-octane centre such as London.

The TMC events held in New York in the 1980s have always been the benchmark, and perhaps the reason why only a city like London can come close to that success.

From all accounts, it appears that the past week's World Tour Finals at the O2 Arena has well and truly achieved that.

The London event was a stunning success, with the quality of the tennis providing an uplifting end to the 2009 season.

The crowds were unexpectedly huge, the staging was brave and innovative, and, most importantly, the players gave absolutely everything to what has now been acknowledged as one of their favourite locations and events.

From the first ball, this was a classy competition, ambitiously staged by the tournament directors. The light shows and emotive musical introductions created chilling pre-match hype, and the practice court in the middle of the public walkway added to the fan experience.

An early criticism related to the lateness of the match finishes. Some of the evening singles sessions ended close to midnight, a spectacle that would normally be appreciated if it were not for the lack of public transport from the East London location at a late hour on chilly, rainy November evenings.

The atmosphere would change completely if the evening session started earlier, even by half an hour, so that all fans could stay until the conclusion of the final match without worrying about missing transport connections.

The only real disappointment of the week was the farcical indecision of Thursday night, at the conclusion of Group A singles matches, when dithering ATP officials failed to announce the two winners of the group to the players and spectators.

Given the nature of the event—the same layout, and same rules, remain every year—the situation should have been thought through properly, especially as one who had even basic computer spreadsheet competency could have disclosed the result immediately following the evening match.

All in all, there are plenty of reasons to celebrate the World Tour Finals' new home in London. We have plenty to look forward to next year...

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Final Men's Tennis Power Rankings of 2009: All Hail the Iron King!

Feng Rong — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 09:25:57 -0500

What a season it has been! Though Roger Federer did not win the year-end championship, few could argue that 2009 was the "Year of Roger Federer." And with the drama involving Rafael Nadal and the rising of Juan Martin del Potro, the tennis landscape has changed forever.

Now get back to our power rankings, we would like to congratulate Nikolay Davydenko, the newly crowned ATP World Tour Finals champion!

The Top 10

1. Nikolay Davydenko (Last Power Ranking: 7; ATP Ranking: 6)

Last Four Tournaments: London [Winner], Paris [R16], Valencia [Semifinalist], Moscow [R32]

Power Ranking Points: 1405

Hard work finally paid off! Yes, Davydenko is No. 1 in the last installment of the power rankings of 2009.

With the depth of today's men's field and with all the talented young guns out there (plus a certain Roger), to see a veteran in Davydenko at No.1 is quite shocking to say the least. But the Russian fully deserves this lofty position.

In London, he beat each of the Grand Slam winner this year. His win over Federer was most impressive, as he was never close to topple the mighty Swiss in their 12 previous encounters.

Still, few would consider him as a legitimate Grand Slam contender in 2010, with the "Fab Five" on top of him. But he certainly seems to have found some new confidence in his game. And with his usual consistency, look for him to be a dangerous player in Masters 1000 tournaments in the new season.

2. Novak Djokovic (Last Power Ranking: 1; ATP Ranking: 3)

Last Four Tournaments: London [RR (2-1)], Paris [Winner], Basel [Winner], Shanghai [Finalist]

Power Ranking Points: 1127

The Serb simply burned out in London. With ATP-leading 97 matches under his belt, you can not blame him to be tired at the end of the season.

So his wins in Paris and Basel should be a more telling sign to his game. Djokovic did not enjoy the first half of the season, especially with his defeats in Masters 1000 tournaments at the hands of Nadal, Murray, and Federer. But he seemed to be a renewed man once the second hard-court season got underway.

He looked more mature and confident on the court, and he seemed fitter than earlier this year. It must have felt sweet to beat Federer in his hometown and to win the last Masters 1000 tournament of the year in Paris.

The biggest disappointment for Djokovic was in the Grand Slams. A second Grand Slam should definitely be on his to-do list next year, along with getting to world No. 1.

3. Juan Martin del Potro (Last Power Ranking: 6; ATP Ranking: 5)

Last Four Tournaments: London [Finalist], Paris [Quarterfinalist], Shanghai [R64], Tokyo [R32]

Power Ranking Points: 892

Many expected his US Open hangover to continue in London, but Del Potro finally put together a respectable post-US Open performance by reaching his first WTF final. Though it would have been sweet to win the title, it's at best the icing on the cake comparing to his first Grand Slam triumph in New York.

The rise of Juan Martin del Potro was quite remarkable. At only 21 and with much room to improve on his game, even Federer said that the sky is the limit for the tall Argentine.

Besides further improving his game, Del Potro certainly would want to have more success in Grand Slams next year. And it would also be nice to crack the top three ranking.

4. Andy Murray (Last Power Ranking: 5; ATP Ranking: 4)

Last Four Tournaments: London[RR (2-1)], Paris [R16], Valencia [Winner], US Open [R16]

Power Ranking Points: 628

While Murray has repeated many times that 2009 has been a good season for him, citing his best performances in all Grand Slams except US Open plus his success in Masters 1000 tournaments, few Murray fans are as optimistic, especially those in Great Britain. "A Grand Slam please, Andy!"

His failure in London definitely did not help the matter. As a pre-tournament favorite, again, he did not make out of his group, even though only by the margin of one game.

The goal for Murray next season is simply: to win a Grand Slam.

5. Roger Federer (Last Power Ranking: 8; ATP Ranking: 1)

Last Four Tournaments: London [Semifinalist], Paris [R64], Basel [Finalist], US Open [Finalist]

Power Ranking Points: 614

While the race to the year-end No.1 for the doubles went down to the wire as Bryans brothers clinched the coveted position in their final match of the season, the race on the single's side was almost over before it started in London.

Federer finished as the ATP World Tour champion for the fifth year, one shy of the current record of six held by Sampras. After failing to win his fifth WTF title, he is also one shy of the record held by Sampras in that category.

Over all, 2009 has been a stellar season for Federer, even by Federer standard. He became the all-time leader in Grand Slam titles, completed the career Grand Slam, and also became the first person in Open Era to reach all four Grand Slam finals in a year three times.

On top of that, he got married to a lovely wife and became father to adorable twin girls. Yeah, you have read the above many times, still one can not help but wonder how one would feel if he were Federer.

As the "History Man," the to-do list for Federer in 2010 is a bit longer than the others:

1) To win at least one more Grand Slam

2) To extend the current streak of 22 consecutive Grand Slam semis or better

3) To break the all-time record of 286 weeks at No.1 held by Sampras

4) To finish the year at No. 1, thus tying the record held by Sampras

5) To win the year-end championship, thus tying the record held by Sampras

6) To win at least two Masters 1000 titles, thus passing the record held by Agassi

......

6. Robin Soderling (Last Power Ranking: 10; ATP Ranking: 8)

Last Four Tournaments: London [Semifinalist], Paris [Quarterfinalist], Stockholm [Semifinalist], Shanghai [Quarterfinalist]

Power Ranking Points: 400

Soderling qualified for the WTF for the first time in his career and he took the opportunity to showcase some of his best tennis. Though he failed to duplicate the feat of Nalbandian in 2005, his semifinal showing in London was quite impressive. It at least showed that his final run in Roland Garros was no fluke.

The hard-hitting Swede will definitely be dangerous in 2010. But can he reach another Grand Slam final?

7. Gael Monfils (Last Power Ranking: 2; ATP Ranking: 13)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris [Finalist], Valencia [R16], Vienna [Quarterfinalist], Shanghai [R16]

Power Ranking Points: 341

Monfils cracked the ATP top 10 for the first time in his career this year. Though he was not able to finish in top 10, his final showing in Paris should definitely give him confidence for next season.

To win more titles and try to reach a Grand Slam final should be reasonable goals for the Frenchman in 2010.

8. Rafael Nadal (Last Power Ranking: 3; ATP Ranking: 2)

Last Four Tournaments: London [RR (0-3)], Paris [Semifinalist], Shanghai [Finalist], Beijing [Semifinalist]

Power Ranking Points: 306

To say that Nadal failed in London is an understatement. As a renowned fighter, it is indeed shocking to see Nadal lose three matches in a row, all in straight sets. Yes, he might not be 100 percent fit yet, recovering from his knee and abdomen injuries. But still, it is not like he never dealt with injuries before. In fact, he is known for fighting with injuries. So what happened? I guess only Nadal knows.

He can still finish the year in style, by helping Spain winning the Davis Cup this week.

We all know what Nadal is capable of once he is on top of his game. So besides staying healthy, another Grand Slam should not be too big a goal for Nadal. As for ATP No. 1, um, maybe not.

9. Radek Stapanek (Last Power Ranking: 4; ATP Ranking: 12)

Last Four Tournaments: Paris [Semifinalist], Basel [Semifinalist], Vienna [Quarterfinalist], Shanghai [Quarterfinalist]

Power Ranking Points: 281

As the oldest player in ATP top 20, Stapanek started 2009 in style by winning Brisbane and San Jose. He also enjoyed a solid finish to the season, reaching at least the final eight in his last four tournaments. He will for sure be motivated to work hard in the off season.

But before that, he will represent Czech Republic in this week's Davis Cup final. His current good form should be a warning sign to whoever he plays against.

It will be hard for the Czech to make any big breakthrough next season, though a title or two should be within reach.

10. Fernando Verdasco (Last Power Ranking: NR; ATP Ranking: 9)

Last Four Tournaments: London [RR (0-3)], Paris [R16], Valencia [Semifinalist], Shanghai [R64]

Power Ranking Points: 107

Verdasco could definitely leave London with his head held high. Even though he did not win one match. his three three-setters against the other three players virtually decided who will advance.

Verdasco began the season with a bang, by reaching his first Grand Slam semis in Australian Open and nearly breaking Nadal. That set the tone for the rest of the season, as he stayed in ATP Top 10 for most of the year. Along the way, he picked up his first hard-court title in New Haven.

Fully confident, it is not impossible for him to reach his first Grand Slam final in 2010.

Author's Note

It has been a real pleasure collaborating with J.A. Allen, Rob York, Rohini Iyer, Rajat Jain and Clarabella Bevis on the Power Rankings this year. Look forward to another season of working with all of you!

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Roger Federer: Unlucky No. 13 vs. Nikolay Davydenko Ends ATP WTF Run

J.A. Allen — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 14:36:29 -0500

There is something to be said for the underdog finally winning the prize, grabbing the brass ring, or walloping the big bully on the playground. We love those loser-makes-good stories. They make the rest of us who lose all the time feel good about our own paltry lives.

This is especially true if the “bully” is just that—a neanderthal who deserves his comeuppance! However, if the favored-to-win happens to be “your” hero—the star whose victories embellish your day and whose miraculous athletic feats sooth your battered ego—you may not be able to surrender to that “feel good” moment.

Such was the case today as world No. 1 Roger Federer caved to mounting pressure from the wily and crafty undersized Russian, Nikolay Davydenko in the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals Saturday. Definitely the underdog in this contest, Davydenko took down the mighty Swiss in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, in a match that went right down to the final serve and Federer’s return into the net.

Federer, who’d beaten Davydenko in 12 straight encounters, had not even lost a set to the Russian since 2006. But Davydenko and Federer had not met since the Estoril Open on clay in 2008, when the Russian had retired due to injury. In the interim, Federer began his slow decline from the untouchable summits of 2004 to 2007.

Federer has not seen those heights consistently in two years. This was not the Federer of Davydenko’s memory—the man whose ground strokes sailed past him as if he were standing still and whose serves seemed unreachable.

Today the Russian met a man whose serves often failed to make their mark and whose ground strokes were frequently uncertain and mistimed. This was not the Federer of Davydenko’s worst nightmares.

Nervous in the first set, Davydenko settled into the match and broke the Federer serve two times in the first five games, taking a 4-1 advantage. Although Federer broke back to make it 4-2, Davydenko broke the Federer serve again to lead 5-2—ultimately closing out the first set at 6-2.

In the second set, Federer’s serve returned but his ground strokes and his return game were still misfiring, and Davydenko stayed even with the Swiss until it was 5-4 with Davydenko to serve to even the score at 5-5.

It was at this juncture that Federer broke the Russian’s serve and took the second set, 6-4. The match would be decided in the third and final set.

The players remained on serve at 5-5, when, inexplicably, Federer began to misfire on his own serve. Ultimately, the Russian broke, taking the lead at 6-5 with an opportunity to serve it out.

Davydenko held onto his nerves and took the set and ultimately the match.

The crowd was stunned. The commentators were stunned. Federer was stunned. It was an amazing performance from the Russian who waited seven years to finally score a victory over the amazing man from Switzerland.

You cannot love tennis and not applaud the tremendous effort and subsequent victory of Davydenko over the man he had never defeated in 12 tries. No. 13 proved to be very lucky indeed for the 28-year-old Russian pro. He deserved the win. He played almost flawless tennis after taking out Robin Soderling the day before.

With less rest and more pressure, the Russian played his best tennis of the tournament in the last two days. Depending upon his opponent tomorrow, you have to root for the Russian to win it all. If this is not his year, then it never will be.

Davydenko has defeated the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3 players in the world on his way to the finals. The Russian deserves to win the ATP Tour Championship.

In the meantime, those of us who have been accused of worshiping too ardently at the throne of Federer must learn to live with imperfection. Federer has become human once again. We have to accept that he cannot and will not win everything from this point forward.

Nonetheless, let us not overlook the fact that Federer is still the No. 1 player in the world. Let us also not forget that of the top four players, only Federer advanced to the semifinals.

Rafael Nadal never factored into this tournament. Novak Djokovic played one solid, competitive match against Davydenko, winning in three tough sets. But the Serb faded at the end. Andy Murray lost out to Juan Martin del Potro by one game, after losing to Federer in three sets.

The four players at the top are no longer so distinctly separated from the next four. The top men are reaching parity. This enlivens the game and makes tournaments such as the one in London thrilling, exciting contests of survival where anyone can walk away a winner.

Federer fans will celebrate his fifth year-end No. 1 ranking and quietly mourn the death of his chance for winning his fifth ATP Year-End Championship Trophy.

There is much to be thankful for in 2009. Federer won his 15th Grand Slam title and also captured the elusive French Open crown, making him one of six players to have won a career Grand Slam.

2010 is yet to come with an exciting and explosive retinue of players ready to do battle once again for the privilege of gaining the next highest ranking above them, ultimately to succeed Federer at No. 1.

So as Davydenko celebrates his victory and readies himself for the final tomorrow against the winner between Soderling and del Potro in the other semifinal, the Federer fans left in his wake will wash the sand from their eyes and wait for 2010 to appear on the horizon.

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Lively London Broil: 2009 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals

J.A. Allen — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:15:16 -0500

Moving the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals to London in 2009 was a brilliant stroke. The tournament now lives in the moment, relevant and scintillating.

What could be more fitting than to crown the world’s best in the land of tennis where Wimbledon stands as a shrine and anointing a homegrown champion remains a national obsession?

Shanghai, on the other hand, seemed strangely remote and foreign because of the time difference and the sparse attendance by crowds who did not fully appreciate the tennis they witnessed. Tennis match results bore the stamp of yesterday’s news—like trying to emulate Boy George in Pigeon English—a little bizarre and unreal.

This year the draws created a multitude of potential scenarios depending on who won and by how much. Apparently, there is so much parity in the top eight that all matches won and lost expanded new possibilities.

Engaged in Group A were: Roger Federer (1), Andy Murray (4), Juan Martin del Potro (5), and Fernando Verdasco (7). Competing in Group B were: Rafael Nadal (2), Novak Djokovic (3), Nikolay Davydenko (6), and Robin Soderling (8).

So what have we witnessed that surprised us?

Group A

Fernando Verdasco (7)

To be perfectly honest, we expected Verdasco to be eliminated. But he was competitive in each and every match, taking Roger Federer, Juan Martin del Potro, and Andy Murray to three sets before losing in the end. It was Verdasco’s play against his three competitors that created the confusing conclusion to determine which players advanced to the semis from Group A.

Andrew Murray (4)

With the ATP World Tour Finals in London, very much a Murray “hometown” setting, there was much hope for the Scotsman to advance and win this championship.

He started out well by defeating the No. 5 seed, del Potro, in three sets, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. It was a great opening salvo. However, he did not fare so well against the No. 1 seed in Federer.

Murray went down to defeat, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, much to the dismay of his legion of fans in London. That meant, of course, he needed to defeat Verdasco, preferably in straight sets.

He did defeat the Spaniard, but with not enough of a margin to win a spot in the semis. Murray came up one game short of advancing to play on Saturday.

Juan Martin Del Potro (5)

Del Potro lost his opening match to Murray in an epic struggle, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2. The Argentine had lost five of his last six matches to the Scot.

Del Potro was so upset by his loss that he could not come out of his room even to join his coach for dinner. Del Potro struggled to overcome Verdasco and finally did, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6. Then, he once again rose to the occasion in his final match to defeat Federer—just as he did at the U.S. Open.

In three sets the lanky Argentine gave the Swiss his first loss, 6-2, 6-7, 6-3. Because he won one more game than Murray, Del Potro went through to the semis.

Roger Federer (1)

We are never quite sure how Federer will play these days, though, as the No. 1-ranked player in the world, he seems to land on his feet and maintain his edge, always doing just enough to stay ahead of the pack.

When the Swiss lost his opening set to Verdasco in his first match, we expected a long night. It was, but Federer prevailed and did the same against Murray—starting slow and finishing strong. Federer could not, however, come back against del Potro, losing his final match in three sets.

Still, the Swiss hung on just long enough to secure a place in the semis.

Semifinalists

Winner Group A: Federer

Runner-up Group A: Del Potro

Group B

Rafael Nadal (2)

Nadal did not win a match—in fact, he did not win a set in his group. That must be the greatest surprise of the tournament.

Granted, Nadal has been injured most of the last half of 2009. It would be inappropriate to draw any grand conclusions from the Spaniard's poor showing in London.

Still, with Nadal’s fighting spirit and his never-say-die attitude, we would have expected at least a set or two along the way. He lost to Robin Soderling, Nikolay Davydenko, and finally to Novak Djokovic in straight sets. It must be said that he appeared to be a shadow of his former self on the bright blue courts in London.

Novak Djokovic (3)

Djokovic struggled in his opener but came back to defeat Davydenko, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. He was not so fortunate against Soderling, losing in straight sets to the red hot Swede, 7-6, 6-1.

It was as if the Serb threw in the towel after losing the tie break. As Djokovic was doing his Marlene Dietrich impression of being “so tired,” Soderling seemed to say, “all the better,” as he is now on his way to the semis.

Djokovic had to wait for the late match to determine his fate, after defeating Nadal in straight sets in the early match. Now he will have plenty of time to rest, because he was eliminated from contention with Davydenko’s win over Soderling.

Nikolay Davydenko (6)

The Russian started well, winning the first set in his opener with Djokovic, but he lost a fiercely contested three-set match to the Serb. Davydenko then defeated Nadal in straight sets, as did everyone in Group B.

The match of this tournament, to determine whether the Russian would advance into the semis, took place as Davydenko met Soderling in the last match of group play.

Davydenko won the opening set in a tense tie break, but Soderling came back to take the second set breaking Davydenko at love—then serving out the set to 6-4. The Russian returned the favor in the third set and Davydenko won the match, sending him into the semifinals.

Robin Soderling (8)

The hard-serving Swede made it into the championship tournament in the first place because Andy Roddick withdrew with an injury.

Soderling owes Roddick big time for this opportunity to play on a surface that showcases his many talents. He started things out by defeating Nadal in straight sets, then followed up that feat by defeating Djokovic in straight sets, as well.

In his final match, however, he could not surpass the wily Davydenko. Soderling lost his final group match, 7-6, 4-6, 6-3, to the Russian.

Semifinalists

Winner Group B: Soderling

Runner Up Group B: Davydenko

Saturday’s Semifinals Matchups

Roger Federer vs. Nikolay Davydenko

Robin Soderling vs. Juan Martin del Potro

Federer has defeated Davydenko 12 times, never losing to the Russian. The last time they met was on clay in 2008, during the finals at Estoril. Davydenko retired due to injury. It would seem that Federer has the Russian’s number.

Del Potro has defeated Soderling the last two times they met—both times on hardcourts in 2009 at Auckland in New Zealand, 6-4, 6-3. He won again in Washington, D.C., with a walkover. They did meet once earlier in 2007 during Davis Cup play, Soderling taking a 7-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory on indoor carpet.

It has been a tremendous tournament to watch so far with doubles and singles play. The stands are filled and the play has been close and intense. It promises to be thrilling all the way to the finals.

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WTF Semis: Sheer Artistry and Ruthless Massacre

Rajat Jain — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:37:13 -0500

The final four of the final ATP tournament has finally been decided after Nikolay Davydenko defeated Robin Soderling in a tight, three-set contest.

The round-robin matchups were thrilling, with all the matches in Group A going the distance, while most encounters in Group B—barring the ones involving Rafael Nadal—also went down the wire. The quality of tennis was breathtaking at times, while above average during others.

Most importantly, there was never a dull moment during any match, especially the ones on days five and six, as none, apart from the Swede, was assured of the spot till the final point of each respective group was played.

In short, things have happened exactly the way they should happen when the top eight players meet for the most prestigious tournament after the four majors. The ATP will be jubilant in its decision to move the championships to a brand new arena in London, and its popularity will only increase in the years to come.

Celebrations aside, the final three matches of the year are still to be played, and they will be widely anticipated after the initial success of the round-robin matches.

Semifinal No. 1: Roger Federer vs. Nikolay Davydenko

On paper, it will be hard to find many contests which can be more one-sided than the first semi. Not only does Federer boast an unscathed record against the Russian in each of their 12 meetings, the four-time champion has dominated the Russian effortlessly by squandering only four out the 32 sets played between them, the last time being almost four years ago at the Australian Open in 2006.

The present scenario, though, is completely different from the one on paper. Davydenko is in the form of his life while the situation is not exactly the same for his opponent. Kolya is serving miraculously (he served at 73 percent against Soderling), even out-acing his opponents at times, and his ground strokes have been accurate and penetrating, both through his racket speed and the angles he is able to create.

Moreover, he is as innovative as ever by taking every chance to come closer to the net and finish the point quickly. His squad has been generous in the support for their man, with his wife cheering him on and showing her enthusiasm through flying kisses for the cameras.

Federer, on the other hand, has shown his brilliance at times, while he has been patchy during the others—still handsomely managing to be the best among the crop. He may have played the Russian with consummate ease in the past, but he knows that this might be the time for Davydenko to finally turn the tables.

The semis will be an exhibition of delightful tennis, with points being constructed rather than blitzed, winners being hit through brilliant angles than a thunderous forehand, while the opponent would be outwitted rather than overpowered. In the end, though, Federer's versatility will prove more than enough against Davydenko's.

Prediction: Federer in three.

Semifinal No. 2: Juan Martin del Potro vs. Robin Soderling

Bombs. Canons. Missiles...Massacre!

The second semifinal may be happening only on a tennis court rather than a battlefield, but it will sure be an absolute warfare where the yellow tennis ball will be crying in pain inside the closed walls of the O2 arena, the echoes of the indoor stadium only aggravating its misery.

Soderling and del Potro are the modern definitions of power baseline players; expect nothing less than power-packed, electrifying tennis from the two. Serves will threaten to take away the line judge along with them, the thundering volume of an ace down the T might scare away a feeble-hearted person, while the forehands will be hit with utmost ferocity, either with an enormous wingspan or through the power generated from an open-chested stance.

Soderling has been clearly the best player of Group B in the round robin, while del Potro is in excellent spirits after achieving his second consecutive victory against the world No. 1.

Motivation will not be a problem as both players have a point to prove to themselves, while fatigue factor can be thrown of the window as they have not exerted themselves to the limit. Del Potro had ample rest before the tournament, hence he should be relatively fresh even after three tight matches, while Soderling breezed past the first two matches and was not overtly worked in the third.

The match will be high on aggression, and eventually the player who executes better during the match will prevail, though the Argentine will hold a significant advantage owing to his more reliable serve and better hands at the net.

A rematch of the U.S. Open finals looks very much on the cards.

Prediction: Del Potro in three.

Champion: Federer

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